I'd buy tickets 3 weeks out or take public transportation before I ever considered a move to Hooterville.

 

Delta has recently hired 2,500 that will be ahead of you for a very long time. Weigh that verse making the same money and driving to work.

 

That's another thing I have considered. I was hired at the beginning of Southwests hiring wave and will retire number 6 on the list. While at Delta as you mentioned there are a ton of young guys already ahead of me. So even though Southwest is a senior airline right now I should have a pretty good QOL the last 15-20 years of my career at SW.

 

I understand the need or requirement to live in a certain area since I myself live on a small rural West Tennessee farm with LOTS of family nearby. Actually there are 3 generations living withing a 30 mile radius and having family nearby is a real plus versus living in a base housing environment.

I am currently on a widebody aircraft and have commuted for the majority of my 37+ years at this airline (or it's predecessor) and contrary to a previous post, commuting does NOT kill you.

Granted commuting does take extra time, but I have gladly traded that time to be near family. I like my choice and if I had to do it all over again, I would do the same thing.

Good luck with your interview.

All the best,

O.C.

 

I agree with OC. I've done both, lived in base and commuted, and there's no doubt that living in base is much easier than commuting, but after my base was closed, I had to make a decision; move to ATL or commute.

The decision I came to was to live where I (we, wife input of course!) want to live, and commute to work. That decision was based on the fact that I spend more time at home than I do at work, so I when I get home from work, I want to be someplace where I really enjoy spending my days off.

It has cost me the opportunity of picking up 'overtime' flying, because I'm so far away from the ATL I don't even bother putting in for GS most months, I've only had 2 in my entire career, but I look at that kind of sideways anyways. The problem with GS's is, you have to show up and fly them!

Since having 4 kids, I have always chosen more time off with them, over more money, but I don't drive a BMW and I still have wife number 1, which helps keep the cost of living down!

 

Most of the Major Florida bases can be a bear but doable. I commuted from FLL-DTW for just over a year and the last three FLL-ATL. 14 mainline flights on Delta alone to ATL and as a DCI guy with lower priority than mainline I've found it to be quite easy. With Spirit and Southwest the number goes up to about 23 flights a day so there are plenty of options.

The ability to reserve the J/S at DL for a DL guy is pure gold, you just have to practice being the fastest gun in the west. With the A321 being billed as the new milk runner for all things Florida, looking ahead that means two available J/S. As has been mentioned above commuting can and will test your faith at times, especially when you get the middle seat, in the last row between crying babies on the night flight after a long 20leg 4 day trip. However only you can make the decision if it's in your best interest given all variables, I grew up in Jamaica so a snowflake or temp below 60 is akin to kryptonite, making my decision to commute for the time being, to be happy around family and also enjoy my time at home very easy.

 

You are putting the cart way before the horse. You have to have a job offer first for it to even be a decision you have to make. If you don't want to interview don't interview...but I say go to the interview, hopefully get the offer, then make a decision.

 

That's the question though. Do I really want to go through all of that prep and study for a job I may not really even want? I thought about winging it and just showing up to the interview with no study and no prep, but our inherent Type A personalities make that hard to do.

 

I know you are thinking out loud (online?) but sitting here reading it--seems like you are all about the money when you are talking about Delta. Nothing wrong with thinking about the money. But when you discuss about the things you value (in this case, the issues related to commuting for life), sure seems like SWA is where you belong.

Delta does seem to hold the potential win when considering lifetime earnings. But look at the last 15 years: DL terminated a pension, drastically cut pay, furloughed. SWA hired off and on through that period and never furloughed. In 2000 people would have considered you insane to take SWA over DL. How'd that work out?

The big unknown is what the future will bring. And you can go nuts trying to figure that out. DL may pay more, but I'm pretty sure SWA will keep you and yours out of soup kitchens. Only you can decide how much is "enough."

 

You're welcome Timbo. Worked for EAL from '85-'89 and had many DL guys on our jumpseats before they could JS on their own metal. We were always happy to have you guys onboard and figured that it was paid ahead. It's worked out well for me since I have been using you guys out of Atlanta since going to UAL in '90.